


Running Secret

by BrokenBookAddict



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Day One, Established Relationship, Exposure, F/M, Family, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Humour, Love, Prompt- Year one, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Secret Relationship, Secret dating, Secrets, SnowHarry, Snowells, Team as Family, Watching, snowellsweek2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:27:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24737644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrokenBookAddict/pseuds/BrokenBookAddict
Summary: Discovery, they believe, is inevitable.
Relationships: Caitlin Snow/Earth-2 Harrison "Harry" Wells
Comments: 12
Kudos: 58
Collections: We're A Team Right?





	Running Secret

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the Flash. I do own any errors. 
> 
> Snowellsweek2020, day one, prompt- year one- secret dating.

As much as she loves her job and she does, very much, there are downsides. 

One hazard of being a reporter is that its an occupation which doesn't always afford convenience. There's no set hours especially when you're the boss running an up and coming newspaper. Chasing down leads for whatever story she's interested in reporting, happen at any time of the day. 

Which is why Iris finds herself weaving her way through the early morning bustle of workers on their way to their respective workplace. The sidewalks are crowded, far more than she thought for a Thursday morning just before eight am. When she gets bumped again, enough is enough and she slips of into the park through an old iron gate. Her meeting is on the other side near the east exit, which will leave her a block from the office her appointment is being held. 

It's a nice morning, the sun is shining and the sky clear with not one cloud in sight. It's warm already, which is indication of what the temperature ahead will increase too, the sun baking the city the same as the days previous. The weather is also why there's many more people out and about so early, choosing to walk to work rather than commute by the usual means of subway, bus, taxi... The park, however, is nice and surprisingly quiet. There's a few people here and there sat upon benches, reading newspapers and drinking coffee. There's a few walking dogs and there's a few jogging by. The not so little shack in the center of the park is opening up for business, setting out tables and chairs, opening parasols to shade against the heat that's forecast for the new day ahead. It's relaxing, quiet and still, the calm before the storm in regards to when the citizens of Central City will descend upon the acres of grass later to enjoy the sunshine. 

Iris welcomes the near empty paths the park affords, not having to dodge a distracted banker or delivery person as they rush by. No, there's none of that. 

At first she doesn't notice, what with her eyes tracing over the notebook littered with questions ready for her meeting. She spilts off the main path through the park to head east. Closing the notebook, Iris takes a sip of her Jitters coffee as her gaze wanders around the beautiful surroundings and that's when it happens.

That's when she sees them. 

Up ahead on the path she moments ago left but which remains in sight, is a couple jogging. Her brows furrow as she stops, watching them as they draw near. 

Caitlin and Harry. 

Since when do they go jogging together, early in the mornings? Is this a relatively new thing? Or have they been doing this awhile? Why haven't either mentioned it before? Or have they and she hadn't taken notice? 

Her curiosity makes her eyes follow them as they pass adjacent to her, her presence going unnoticed to them. Iris turns on tne spot to follow them with her eyes as they slow to a stop and Caitlin takes a moment to stretch out, leaning against a large tree which offers shade against the early morning sun. Harry wanders away to the little shack where the owner awaits his customers with a smile, returning quickly with two water. They talk for a few minutes and Iris wanders why she's so fascinated, why she hasn't approached her friends yet. But there's something intriguing which exists, something different there between them that makes her stop and observe. The reporter within looks for the backstory to the scene playing out, because of course, there has to be one. It becomes more apparent seconds later, her eyebrows rise when Harry lifts the bottom of his tee to wipe sweat from his face and Iris will be the first to admit her surprise of the form he's hiding beneath those ever black clothes. Her surprise skyrockets further with what happens next. Her captivated attention observes Harry say something before he steps in closer, invading Caitlin's space where she's still leaning against the tree. Her laugh carries through the quiet until it's smothered by his mouth. 

_Oh my... what?_

Iris eyes refuse to drift away, completely captivated by what's happening between her two friends. 

When did this become a thing? How long has it been going on? And how did they miss it? Seriously? Is this new? What the hell? 

Her mind races with curiosity. 

One thing is for certain and clear, this isn't a new development. It's comfortable and intimate and easy. Caitlin's body has melted into him with ease as he crowds her harder against the tree. Though eventually they pull away with a rare smile shot at the woman before him in reply to whatever she said to him. 

In a weird twist, it's completely shocking but then... it isn't, not really. 

And as quickly as the scene started, it ends as they continue on their way and Iris is left standing in the middle of the footpath watching them disappear further into the distance, feeling completely dumbfounded. 

Her job is to find stories, to expose both hidden and obvious truth in circumstances whether good or bad. And yet, one of the biggest truths went totally unnoticed right under her nose. 

Turning away from the spot she found herself rooted, Iris continues on her way to make her meeting, moving a little quicker as not to arrive late. Despite a thousand questions, she's finds herself happy for her two friends. 

Her curiosity however, remains unsatisfied. 

Which is why over the course of the next few days, Iris pays attention and paying attention soon pays off because she begins to notice things. A lot of things actually. Now that she's accidently been made aware of the change in relationship status between her two friends and colleagues, it's abundantly clear looking in from the outside. There's a number of things she's picked up on, like how they'll randomly disappear throughout the day only to reappear a short time later looking far too relaxed and sharing a secret smile. It didn't take two guesses to know what they'd been up too. There's the trips to Jitters they take, both together and apart, if one of them go alone they'll bring back coffee for the other, nothing groundbreaking but it's the touches that follow that are. From a soft touch to the small of her back to a gentle hand on his forearm, once even a stolen kiss in the hall. Most days they have lunch together she's discovered, quiet conversation shared over sandwiches brought in from their favoured deli down the street. There's the abundance of sly touches shared between them, casual yet covert. None of the others suspect anything which now that she's aware, now that she can see what's happening, it's obvious. There's also more caution and concern when either goes into the field on a mission, restlessness exists until the other returns to the lab safe and unharmed. Then of course when the night draw in and off Caitlin goes, Harry waits a little while before disappearing. One morning just for fun, she stopped by his rooms around eight am to ask a question about their current case and of course.... low and behold, he wasn't there. 

A few hours later when he eventually turned up, she questioned his whereabouts and he had scowled, muttering something about going for a jog in the park. It didn't bypass her notice his hair was still damp and there was and ain't hint of Strawberry and it didn't take a rocket scientist to hazard a guess that he shared his morning shower with their lovely bioengineer. 

It was fun, scrutinising their every interaction. Looking for the underlining relationship, watching to see if it slipped through which it never did. Because they were good at hiding it without really hiding it. To anyone, everything looked and felt the same, they argued and disagreed about a variety of issues regarding the cases they worked or the research they conducted, they worked side by side silently to find solutions in the lab and in the field, they had each other's back always. Nothing outwardly seemed different. If she hadn't of stumbled upon them in the park that morning, Iris wouldn't have any idea their relationship has slipped from friends to lovers. Because they were definitely lovers, no question and she had proof. This wasn't a couple starting out with a few dates, no, not at all. Which was confirmed two days ago when she geniunely forgot her phone left behind on the main console after a long day. When she came back to collect it after getting half way home, the cortex was shrouded in darkness when she returned but the med bay wasn't. Peeking through the glass, she witnessed Caitlin sat upon her desk, a shirtless Harry between her legs doing a fine job of removing her clothes, which he soon abandoned leaving her blouse hanging off one shoulder in favour of dropping to his knees and burying his face between... at that point she turned hastily away not wishing to see any more than she already had. Her phone had been collected and off she went. 

It was extremely interesting though, being able to witness the change in personalities and emotions. When Caitlin stepped into a room, Harry visibly relaxed, tension releasing from his shoulders and those blue eyes of his brightened further. Upon seeing Harry, Caitlin couldn't contain the smile which would blossom across her beautiful face. Instantly, they were happier when in each others presence, when his eyes could rest upon her and follow her graceful motions as she explained whatever required explanation. Iris also discovered she watched him just as much and Iris noticed that Caitlin had a rather keen fascination with his hands, watching him simply gesture or fix some complicated piece of tech. Her brain didn't want to venture why exactly that fascination existed though she could guess.

But today, something had been different and it probably had everything to do with the fact Caitlin called in sick. Harry had been a miserable bear, grumpy and annoyed. She picked up on his worried expression countless times and how he would disappear to make a call. Only to return a short time later looking a little more at ease. He disappeared around lunch, returning an hour later ignoring Cisco's questions of where he'd been. 

So on the third day of Caitlin being out of the office due to sickness, Iris decided to stop by and visit. Despite the surprise her friend displays when she opens the door, she welcomes her in and offers a fresh cup of coffee.

She pretends to not see her friend subtly reach for her phone, fingers dancing across the screen before she hands over a steaming cup, taking a seat opposite in a plush, oversized armchair. 

Over their shared beverage, Caitlin explains the reason for her absence, chemicals used for an experiment had caused a migraine so bad she's been wiped out for days, feeling like her head is spilting in two as wave after wave of nausea rolled through her. It's only now as the hours roll into evening on the third day does she feel somewhat normal. The pain has simmered down to a low throbbing and the nausea has passed and now, hunger has slowly started to settle in. 

They talk for awhile, about what Caitlin's missed at the lab while she's been off sick and the story Iris has been chasing. It's nice and quiet and indulgent, because neither really have many female friends, so they enjoy the chatter shared over a coffee for Iris and a herbal tea for Caitlin. 

As she listens to Caitlin tell her about Cisco's mishap out in the field last week, Iris wonders to herself whether she should broach the subject of her friends clandestine relationship. However before she reaches a conclusion, it's decided for her. 

As she accepts Caitlin's offer of another coffee, she subtly inspects the open plan apartment as Caitlin goes about her task. There's no obvious sign of change, nothing screams, " _Harry_ _and_ _I_ _are_ _together_ , _having_ _sex_ _on_ _the_ _regular_!". Nothing looks greatly out of place since the last time she was here except for the black jacket hanging by the door and a pair of familiar glasses on the table across the room. Caitlin's voice draws her attention, asking after Cecile and Joe. She relates tonight is date night for them and later her and Barry will have the pleasure of Jenna's company. It's the spilt second of silence which falls after she stops talking, when it happens. 

Iris sits back in curious amusement to watch as the front door opens and Harry steps in, a large bag of takeout cradled in one arm. He's oblivious to her presence, turning his attention to the blindsided woman standing in the kitchen. He clearly misses how rooted to the spot she is as he moves toward her, but before walking by to dump the food upon the island, he leans in to kiss her gently, his thumb against her chin to hold her in place. There's something soft and intimate about it, a lovely greeting shared between the two.

"Hi. Feeling any better?" He asks, his mouth resting against hers. But no answer comes and when he pulls back, he notices then how wide her eyes are, how stiff she's holding herself and across the room, Iris has to hide her smile. "You okay sweetheart?" 

Caitlin clears her voice, shifting on her feet. "Iris stopped by to visit." 

"Oh, that's nice." 

Iris' eye roll matches Caitlin's. 

"No," she says slowly, "I mean yes it is but, that's not what I--" she waves her hand in exasperation indicating toward where Iris is currently sitting. 

Iris watches almost in slow motion as he turns to look at her sat innocently upon the couch. His eyes widen in surprise before it clears and his face becomes a mask of blank expression. For fun, she offers him a wave. "Hi." 

Harry swallows, quickly glancing to Caitlin. "West-Allen." 

The room suddenly feels incredibly still and a tension has settled and it quickly dawns upon Iris that their waiting for her reaction. Caitlin looks spooked, like she's waiting for the final blow to be delivered, while Harry looks a mixture of unease at the situation and guilt for accidently outing them and causing it. 

As much fun as it's been spying on them, this part isn't about that. This part is serious and she wants them to know it. So rising from the couch she closes the distance to stand beside the counter. "I saw you both Thursday morning jogging through the park. I was on my way to an early morning interview." 

Caitlin's eyebrow furrow in confusion. "You've known-- why didn't you say anything?" 

"Truthfully?" She asks though doesn't wait for an answer before continuing. "It was fun being the only one to know. Once I knew though and I watched you together, it was pretty obvious in the most subtle and not so subtle of ways."

"We did say it was only a matter of time," Harry says, looking to his not so secret lover. "Before someone found out." 

"You did a good job, hiding it in plain sight. I honestly wouldn't have known, I didn't know until I saw you both together."

"We were going to tell you all soon."

"Yes," Caitlin murmurs quietly in agreement, leaning into Harry a little bit more. Suddenly as if remembering something, she stands up straight to slap a hand to his chest, startling him. "I sent you a text to say she was here." 

"I didn't get it obviously. My phone died." 

Iris eyes meet Caitlin's and just by the nervous bite of her lower lip, she's knows what's coming and it really isn't necessary. They haven't done anything wrong to warrant an apology, the only thing their guilty of is non disclosure of the change in their relationship status. Even then, she can more than understand wanting to keep it quiet, to value the privacy to which that affords them. When she started dating Barry, it was never really an option, everyone knew but if she had the chance to slowly ease into it, to have the privacy to explore, she would have taken it. Which is why she waves away the incoming apology now. 

"Don't apologise. You valued your privacy and that's understandable." She tells them geniunely. "But more importantly, I'm happy for you both, really." 

The tension visibly eases within Caitlin. "Thank you Iris." 

Harry nods, giving a soft smile. 

When Caitlin winces and rubs a hand across her forehead, it's time to call it a night. "Listen, I'm gonna head out. I have babysitting duties." She says with a smile, looking forward to spending the night with her little sister and husband. "Have a good night, I hope you feel better soon." 

Caitlin smiles tiredly as Harry rubs her back. 

As Iris steps out of the apartment, she turns to close the door and catches a glimpse of Harry gently cradling Caitlin's face, his mouth softly against hers. 

The soft click of the door follows and Iris walks away with a pleased smile.

The end. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. ❤


End file.
